A Door to Safety Has Closed for Persecuted Christians

Around the world, 388 million Christians are facing high levels of persecution or discrimination because of their faith. That’s roughly one in seven Christians globally.

Yet, according to a new report from World Relief and Open Doors US, Fiscal Year 2026 is on track to become the first year on record, and possibly since the creation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in which not a single refugee from the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution was resettled in the United States.

Bri Stensrud, Director of Women of Welcome, recently sat down with Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief, to unpack what the new State of the Golden Door report means for Christians in the United States.

First, what do we mean by persecution?

As Matt explained to Bri, religious persecution is much more serious than being unpopular because of your beliefs.

In countries around the world, Christians can face violence or even death because of their faith. Others experience what Open Doors describes as a “squeeze,” such as being excluded from education, employment, or participation in society.

And Christians are not the only people affected. Religious minorities of many faiths face persecution. As Christians, we believe religious freedom should extend to everyone, including the freedom to worship and live out one’s faith without fear.

But when persecution happens to our brothers and sisters in Christ, Scripture also gives us a particular reason to pay attention. As Matt reminded us from 1 Corinthians 12, when one part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it.

What changed this year?

The numbers are striking.

In Fiscal Year 2024, more than 29,000 Christian refugees from the 50 countries on Open Doors’ World Watch List were resettled in the United States. In FY2026, that number has fallen to zero.

The report concludes that zero refugees persecuted for their faith were resettled through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program over the past year.

“For years, the United States has offered a ‘golden door’ of safety for those fleeing persecution on account of their faith, Christian and otherwise,” said World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene. “This year, that door slammed shut.”

The report raises concerns about asylum, too. Among applicants of all religious backgrounds from the 50 countries on the World Watch List, the immigration-court asylum approval rate fell from 58% in FY2023 to 10% in FY2026.

Refugee resettlement is not the same as crossing the border

This distinction matters.

A refugee is someone outside their country of origin who meets a specific legal definition based on a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program are processed and vetted overseas before traveling to the United States.

That means Christians do not have to choose between supporting orderly immigration processes and caring about people fleeing persecution.

As Matt explained, World Relief is asking the current administration to make people fleeing religious persecution a priority for refugee resettlement in FY2027, similar to the priority President Trump established during his first term.

So, what can we do?

This is where we move from information to faithful action.

Read the report. Take time to understand what is happening to persecuted Christians and other religious minorities around the world.

Add your name. World Relief has prepared a letter asking President Trump to reopen the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to persecuted religious minorities and make those fleeing religious persecution a priority in FY2027. World Relief’s current campaign asks supporters to sign by September 21.

Share what you learn. Send the report to your pastor, Bible study, family, or friends. Help other Christians understand the connection between religious persecution and refugee resettlement.

Pray. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and, in many cases, a brother or sister in Christ.

Near the end of their conversation, Matt pointed Bri to Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Jesus did not ask Saul why he was persecuting my people. He asked, “Why are you persecuting me?”

Jesus identifies deeply with his suffering people.

May we learn to do the same, remembering that our response to persecution does not begin with politics. It begins with seeing people clearly, praying faithfully, learning the truth, and asking how God might use our voices to pursue Christlike welcome.